Reaching the goal: Funding workshops for community organizations

September 17, 2012

Is your organization struggling to fund community projects? Are you worried about funding in these uncertain times? The Kettle Falls Horizons program, in partnership with WSU Stevens County Extension, is excited to announce a program that can help find and write grants, fund-raise, and mobilize community resources.
â€śThe first series of these workshops in 2011 was an outstanding success and we had a waiting list, so we are offering them again this time in Kettle Falls and Chewelah. All the classes have been revised to include current available funding information,â€ť said Debra Hansen, Stevens County Extension Director.
The workshops will be held in Kettle Falls and Chewelah on the following dates:

Kettle Falls at the Senior Center at 506 Narcissusâ€“ all workshops are from 1:00 â€“ 3 p.m.

â€śCoaching labs for your specific projects will be held in between sessions to be scheduled with the instructors and participants,â€ť Hansen added.
â€śThe coaching labs are designed for each participant to apply what they have learned in the workshops directly to their organizationâ€™s specific needs. For example, we can go on-line and research and find grants specifically to fund your projects,â€ť Gael Treesiwin instructor, explained.
These workshops are designed for anyone associated with a nonprofit organization in Stevens County that is ready to be actively involved in fundraising for the organization. They are not appropriate for business owners. The workshops are an integrated series, but can be taken individually.
Classes cost $20 per session and the labs are a onetime fee of $10 for any or all of the labs. However, if a participant wants to take all four workshops and pays prior to the first session, they will save $20 and only pay $60 for the series.
Partial and full scholarships are available, thanks to a grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation.
â€śDonâ€™t make money the reason you canâ€™t attend, just give us a call and request a partial or full scholarship,â€ť Treesiwin pointed out.
â€śThe classes fill up quickly, so register as soon as you know you want to come,â€ť Hansen added.
To sign up for the program, contact Angie Crawford at (509) 220-6961 or email: ajcconnect@gmail.com or g.treesiwin@wsu.edu
Instructors for the workshops are Treesiwin, Grant and Fund Development Coach for WSU Stevens County Extension, an AmeriCorps VISTA and Angie Crawford, Crawford Financial, LLC. Together they have over 26 years of experience helping nonprofit organizations raise money and develop sustainable funding systems.
Treesiwin is a seasoned trainer who began her career as a school teacher at the Evergreen School K-8 in Gifford and worked in social services in the Tri-County area from 1973-1982. Since then she has provided leadership, fund development and capacity building for private, public, and nonprofit organizations around the country.
â€śI am most excited about the networking and collaboration that happens in the classes and the labs. Much collaboration for raising money and sharing resources always come out of these new relationships,â€ť added Treesiwin.
Crawford lives in the Springdale Area and is the Administer of the Springdale Computer Center. She has her own business Crawford Financial, LLC, which serves nonprofit organizations. Her background includes a Masters in Management with a focus on Public Administration and 12 years working with a statewide nonprofit organization.
â€śI was a participant last year and these workshops take mystery out of fundraising and grant writing,â€ť said Crawford.